When I spoke recently with Doug Gray, we talked a lot about the continuing legacy of the Marshall Tucker Band, which he formed in Spartanburg more than 40 years ago with Toy Caldwell, Tommy Caldwell, Jerry Eubanks, George McCorkle and Paul T. Riddle.

The Marshall Tucker Band will perform Saturday at the Greer Family Fest in downtown Greer.

Since we were on the topic of the influence that the legendary Spartanburg group has had on artists of a different generation from Gray’s own, I couldn’t help but ask him for his thoughts on what Justin McCorkle, whose father George died in 2007, has been doing to preserve the Marshall Tucker Band legacy.

Along with original material in the Southern rock vein, the Spartanburg-based Justin McCorkle Band routinely includes performances of Marshall Tucker Band classics in its live sets.

“I’m proud that the new generation like Justin McCorkle and some of these other guys are keeping it going,” Gray said. “They make a monumental effort to try to do those songs as good as they can. Most groups can get up there and play a song and not really have any feelings toward it, but you and I both know that when Justin goes up there, he’s feeling it. He just does a great job, and I’m really happy for him.”

Of course, McCorkle isn’t the only 30-something musician in Spartanburg that Gray takes pride in. For quite some time, he’s been a big booster of area guitar whiz Shane Pruitt, whom he’s invited to perform with the Marshall Tucker Band when the group performs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Greer Family Fest in downtown Greer.

I’ve yet to see Pruitt on stage with Gray and company (most of his previous gigs with them have been at such venues as the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and on the Rock Legends cruise), so I’m definitely looking forward to that.

But there’s also a little part of me that hopes that Justin McCorkle, once he’s done with his band’s 5:30 p.m. gig at Spring Fling in Spartanburg, will hop in his vehicle and make a quick jaunt over to Greer before the Marshall Tucker Band leaves the stage.

I know Gray well enough to know that McCorkle wouldn’t need an invite to do it. Just show up and let the magic happen. Imagine how much love there would be from the audience if McCorkle were to take the lead vocals for one of the most beloved Marshall Tucker Band songs, “Fire on the Mountain,” which was, of course, written by his late father.

Logistically, given the time slots for both bands at two different festivals, that might not be doable. But if there’s any chance, I think it should be done. After all, Greer is right in the Marshall Tucker Band’s own backyard.

Here’s a link to a story on the Marshall Tucker Band that was published Thursday by the Herald-Journal and GoUpstate.com:

About This Blog

Dan Armonaitis has been writing about music since the mid-1990s and has been listening to the stuff even longer. Although most of his favorite records were made before he was born, he is always eager to discover something new.

The primary focus of this blog is to take music fans beyond the entertainment pages of the Herald-Journal, but don’t be surprised by an occasional post about another of his lifelong passions: baseball.

Dan thinks it’s kind of neat that his mother has the distinction of having seen live concerts by Hank Williams, Hank Williams Jr. and Hank Williams III and that his grandmother is buried in the same cemetery as Shoeless Joe Jackson.